Midnight Rush
by Galbert-Kun
Summary: Tis the season to be happy, Christmas is here for our friends at Hollywood Arts! Robbie has one last resolution he wants to fulfill, the one person that his heart has a special place for. Will he be able to say it as planned, or will there be some fractures along the way? #ZenRadeContest


Disclaimer= **I do not own Victorious.**

_**This is for the #ZenRadeContest.**_

**I brainstormed for this story at my local Barnes and Noble, with my beloved eggnog alongside. Enjoy this fic and Happy Holidays to you and yours! **

**Regards,**

_**Galbert-Kun**_

* * *

Robbie Shapiro's brain seemed to have mimicked a clock. At the first frame of midnight, he closes his eyes and falls soundly asleep for another fourth of a day until his eyes opened for the start of the next one. Swatting his pear phone hammer-style would have grave consequences, so he snoozed for another hour until he awoke with a _carpe diem_ mindset. With his coffee in his hand, Robbie was off to Hollywood Arts for another productive and unpredictable day.

It was close to the end of the year and for the most part, it went well for Robbie. All of the resolutions he had fulfilled were a mix of personal, social and academic ones. There was one he had yet to fulfill, and it was the one that caused him to grow restless whenever it crossed his mind.

_10. Tell Jade West that you love her_

Though a confession was not a due or die situation for Robbie, the sheer weight of each passing day of not telling his crush how he felt began to affect him. Robbie was still awash with time because everyone at Hollywood Arts, save for two people, were afraid of Jade. Perhaps afraid is not the appropriate term; maybe intimidated is the better fit? Beck and Jade had been broken up for a while now, though they remained cordial with each other. The Full Moon Jam was approaching, and Robbie wanted do something special for the jam... something _swell_ perhaps.

During a nap in the library, he had a dream of seeing an unknown girl feeling down, and a song was written and sung for her. Robbie couldn't see the girl's face, but he knew she felt better after hearing the song. Waking up in a cold sweat, Robbie immediately flew towards the Guitar Center a couple blocks away from his school. Taking advantage of their promotional tweet, he got some lessons and rented a 12 string for the jam. Ideas for his memorable performance flooded up his mind until the night of the jam.

* * *

_**THE FULL MOON JAM**_

It was the night of The Full Moon Jam, and Robbie was bushed. Little sleep was all he could get due to being consumed with preparing of the special performance. _Guitar Center is perfect,_ he thought but that was wrong, as frequented the place during the times he was there. The added stress of not wanting anyone to know what it is he was to perform further riled Robbie.

While waiting to be called, he took a quick name whilst the guitar lay snuggled in his arms.

"Next, right I'm next!" The 'Jam coordinator yelled at Robbie to get on stage some time later and Robbie sped off to the stage, a little too quickly for his feet's content. Just out of view of the audience, he rolls his right ankle and nearly destroying the pricey guitar in the process. Limping to the microphone, his eyebrows twitch from the pain. As the MC announces Robbie's name, he waves and scans the crowd. All of his friends were there in supporting. He could even see Jade… but she was chatting with Beck, which caused a flush of envy to course through Robbie's body and straight to the swelling ankle. Conceding, he let out a yelp that caused his peers to laugh.

_I will now perform my new song… this song goes out to someone very special to me, so I hope you all enjoy it!_

The music begins to play as Jade takes a sip of the cola-

_You're the cure to my pain_

_The Advil for my aches_

_You are PBJ and I'm your wonder bread_

_A natural combo, the perfect spread…_

Out of nowhere, Robbie stops singing, and is fighting back tears as he carefully sets the guitar down. He profusely apologizes for not being able to finish the song.

"I'm not going to sing _that_ song anymore," he said during the quick interlude… He took a sip of water as he lightly tapped his left foot. "I'll improvise…" said Robbie as he slightly lowered his glasses. Sinjin readies a jazz beat with snares. He re-says the opening four lines…

**:***

_I struggle to find the words most appropriate to describe you_

_For you leave me speechless_

_No words can describe your beauty _

_For it leaves me breathless_

_My sprain deepens my pain_

_None of which can compare to my heart ache_

_Every time I think of you, I smile_

_Time will eventually bring us together_

_Real love so, so worthwhile…_

_It is indeed true as you say__  
__anxiety nerves made my ligament go astray__  
__I imagine holding you in my arms__  
__feeling your warmth as all of the bad things went away_

_when those clouds go dark__  
__'tis you I want by my side__  
__for I yearn for your gentle touch__  
__for your love will brighten my life__  
__my hand holding your hand__  
__strengthening of our bond as we observe our point of view__  
__the sky...__I need you too__  
__I wish you would realize the sincere feelings I have for you__  
__you are the one my heart seeks__  
__you are the one my lips want to kiss__  
__and you are the one whom I hope know recognizes this...__these words of mine for a woman quite divine~_

Robbie puts the microphone back, grabs the guitar and limps off the stage. The crowd was buzzing- the poetry's central message was that of a confession. The chatter was about whom the words were directed towards.

* * *

_**(By far the performance of the night at the Full Moon Jam was Robbie's! Such rare and poetic justice spoken in its truest form… A girl's ears perked up at the conclusion of the performance… which ears were they?)**_

_Every time I think of you, I smile_

_Time will eventually bring us together_

_**real love**__ so, so worthwhile…_

The Based God once said, in regards to a performance, "This is God-like." Well now, that is how you can describe what Robbie did on the stage. Ankle swollen to the dickens, he scrapped the guitar performance he as going to do and completely improvised a poem with appropriate rhythms in the back. The pain was such that Robbie asked to be taken to the hospital before passing out.

Things blacked out in his subconscious until he woke up to see his right ankle bandaged and wrapped in ice. The nurse knocked on his door and asked if he was feeling okay, to which Robbie indicated that he was.

"What's the prognosis on my ankle?"

"It's broken for sure, but you'll be good as new in 6-8 weeks."

"Around Christmas time?"

"I believe so; it all depends on the speed of your recovery… Oh Robbie if it's okay, some friends are here to see you."

"Okay." Robbie gestured to the nurse that she allow the visitors to enter. Tori, Andre, and Jade entered the room. Not a surprise, seeing as they were there for him when he donated blood.

"What's up you guys?"

"Your ankle looks pre-tty swelled up," Jade quipped. Robbie let that remark go reeling a bit from the anti-inflammatories he was given.

"Are you okay Rob? We heard you went night-night backstage." Andre described to the girls how he heard the scene play out, with the latter laughing at the gestures he was making. Robbie laughed alongside his friends, but soon got serious. He revealed that he was disappointed that he didn't play his song that was tirelessly practiced.

"We'll have a big break at some point in our lives, I simply had an unexpected one not too long ago… say, someone pull out their pear phone and tell me the time."

"11:56pm," responded Jade much to the surprise of her friends.

"How long have I been here?" Robbie wondered, to which Tori replied a couple of hours, give or take.

"How wonderful… I'm spending a Friday night at the emergency room… OH MY GOD MY ANKLE!" Robbie shrieked as the anti-inflammatory medicine wore off, setting off the instant current of pain. Andre yelled for a nurse to give Robbie some more medicine, and that was fulfilled a few minutes later. The pain went away not too long after that, a few minutes past midnight and Robbie was calm once more.

"Can I go home now?"

"Robbie, you have to stay overnight for observation."

"I think that's a good idea man."

"Will one of you guys or gals be so kind as to- -" Andre and Tori had to leave, but someone else stayed. Jade stealthy exited the room while Robbie was screaming in pain so she could satisfy her craving for root beer.

"Where'd everyone go?" She asked… the Root Beer tasted amazing in the early morning. One thing that was evident to Jade was that Robbie was not making eye contact with her. Closing his eyes and the head facing away, Robbie stared at the railing.

"Are you alright? The medicine should be kicking in right about now." Jade sat in the chair nearest Robbie's side. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw the most beautiful thing in the world making eye contact with him. She was wearing a hoodie, but that did not matter as Robbie felt at ease. Jade was not going to hurt him nor say anything mean. She just seemed genuinely concerned about him.

"I'll feel better, thank you for staying. It means a lot to me." Jade was going to reply that she "stayed" only to grab a root beer from the vending machine; however, she made eye contact with Robbie again and that action nearly caused her to melt from within. To her, she was looking at the most beautiful smile she had ever seen; one that was full of honesty and sincerity.

"I have to go now Robbie, my dad will freak if I stay any longer."

"I understand, thanks again for staying, it truly does mean a lot to me. Tori, Andre and or Cat yeah, I could see doing what you did. By you staying, that tells me that you have a heart, and I believe that is quite beautiful."

"Wow Robbie, I-I don't know what to say." Jade had to turn away to avoid having Robbie view her crying. The glowing words he spoke of her, they made her feel special. When she turned back around, Robbie was going to say something else, but he immediately gestured towards his ankle.

"The meds aren't working."

"Man up Robbie, you can get through this. You survived a horrible cream of mushroom soup fate, this is nothing!"

"Oh I know, but every time I feel my ankle pulsate- -" Hold that thought! Suddenly as quickly as she had turned around just now, Jade took a few steps to reach Robbie and planted a passionate kiss on his lips. _Oh my lawd_, thoughts of happiness and good feelings coursed through his mind as he returned the kiss he so desperately yearned for and dreamt of… well he tried to. When Jade realized what she had done, she pulled back and quickly excused herself.

"Let me take you out sometime Jade,"

"I don't think so."

"Wait a minute!" Jade was long gone at this point. Robbie sunk back in his hospital bed, sad that the girl of his dreams had just left and was no longer in the room with him.

_I love you so much Jade West… I'll soon my reveal my feelings for you_

* * *

_**CHRISTMAS EVE**_

There were no performances scheduled for tonight, as the school was closed tonight and tomorrow. There was one person there backstage, readying for his special performance he did not get to do. Everyone was still at Tori's house, drinking eggnog and dancing until the clock struck midnight. Robbie was silent during his time there; that is, until he made an escape after Trina cranked the volume up. No one after Trina cranked the volume up. No one had attempted to call him, such the way they made him feel. Robbie was ready to perform.

_There is not a lot I want for Christmas_

**There is just one thing I need**

_I don't care about the presents_

**Sitting under the Christmas tree**

_I just want you for my own_

**More than you could ever know**

_Make my wish come true_

**Baby all I want for Christmas**

is _**you**_….

No one applauded and there were no standing ovations or calls for an encore. Robbie set the microphone down and looked around to see who was there that sang the duet with him.

"Who's there? Please show yourself,"

"Why, how could you not recognize little ol me?" When that farm girl voice from Alabama was heard, he knew… Robbie knew that Jade was there.

_Magic!_

***FLASHBACK**/*

"Trina, could you please help me out with the food? The least you could do is put chips in bowl!" Tori, as usual, was struck the majority of the Christmas party preparations. It was going to be a very great one this year. All was forgiven after she tried setting Beck up with Cat. During the beginning of the Full Moon Jam, they got along great but Beck lost patience when Cat did her spacing out. Anyways as Tori put Doritos chips in a bowl, she got a call from Jade.

"I wish it would rain on me."

"There's no rain being forecast tonight, and hi how are you? I'm doing great thank you, how about you?

"Doing well Tori, thanks." After a moment of silence, the two girls starting laughing but it quickly got serious. Jade asked Tori if she could talk to her outside. Tori found Jade sitting with her back to the wall, crouched in ball. When she looked up, it looked as if she was holding back tears.

"Don't cry, your mascara will run!"

"I'm not wearing any, just some blush."

"Oh okay, you look really pretty!" Jade got up and gave Tori a big hug, which nearly brought Tori to tears.

"Okay I think something is up if you are being this nice to me."

"Robbie loves me." Tori cleaned up her glasses and asked her to clarify, so she did.

"How do you know Robbie loves you?"

"His poem at Full Moon Jam,"

"Yeah, but that could've been for any girl."

"Wait, there's more… Jade told Tori about what happened at Guitar Center, specifying how he was getting lessons and scouring each guitar at the store until he settled on a 12 string.

"Again, that led to his poem _that could've been meant for anybody._"

"He kept saying _Rade_… that's his name and mine clashed together!" Tori understood now after the breakdown, and couldn't help but smile. It would be like Robbie to do something like that, go the extra mile for the girl of his dreams.

"So he loves you, huh?"

"Yes."

"That leaves one very important question…"

"… and what would that _very important question_ be?"

"**Do you love him back?**"

***/FLASHBACK***

"So you knew the poem was about you all along?" Robbie's heart was overcome with joy, pure bliss radiated from within his chest.

"Not quite… after I saw you at Guitar Center and your poem at Full Moon Jam, the pieces fell in place."

"I didn't mean for it to be so complicated."

"Oh not at all," Jade said as she was now at an intimate distance from Robbie's face.

"I can't begin to tell you how sweet it was that you took the time to ready yourself for that initial performance you were going to do. You must have spent countless hours making sure the song was perfect. The poem simply left me breathless. It was so genuine, so _real_, so beautiful that I had tears streaming down my face."

"You cried?"

"I'm a girl, we kind of express ourselves that way." Robbie was now in an embrace with the girl he coveted to be with. There was a long silence as Robbie felt ready to fulfill his final resolution.

"Jade,"

"Yes?"

"I love you." Jade look up at Robbie and flashed the cutest grin he had ever seen. Her reply was clear with the seal of approval.

"I love you too."

* * *

_**Christmas came right on time for Rade.**_


End file.
